by Guy Page
Thursday, May 9, Slate Valley Unified Unified School District became the first school district this year to reject a school budget three times.
Slate Valley includes schools in Orwell in Addison County and West Haven, Benson, Fair Haven, and Castleton in Rutland County. The budget failed by 93 votes, No 891, Yes 798. It sought $211,000 less than the budget rejected at Town Meeting.
Of the 33 school budgets that were rejected at Town Meeting, 12 have passed in subsequent votes. It’s been third-time-lucky for St. Johnsbury, Georgia, South Burlington, and Addison Northwest. But not so much for Slate Valley, where the third budget was reduced $211,000 from the Town Meeting budget of $31 million.
The district is located in the Slate Valley that straddles Vermont and New York. Plentiful in slate, industry there once provided slates for school children and now provides slate to re-roof aging slate roofs, according to the Poultney Historical Society.
At Town Meeting, the statewide property tax was set at about 20%. The proposed SW tax has fallen to 13-14% following the passage of H.887, which ‘bought down’ the property tax with reserve spending and other taxes, including two heretofore untaxed categories, short term rentals and internet services. Gov. Scott has indicated he will likely veto the bill anyway, setting up a veto session in June.
At least two school districts will take a third run at approving a budget Tuesday, May 14: South Hero, and the Barre Unified Union School District (Barre City and Barre Town).
Results of Revotes for School Districts That Voted No at Town Meeting
| School District | Town Meeting/First vote | Second vote | Third vote | |
| Holland | yes | No | Yes | |
| Rutland Town | no | No | No | |
| Barstow UUSD (Chittenden, Mendon) | no | No | No | |
| Otter Valley UUSD (Brandon, others) | no | No | No | |
| Addison Northwest USD (Vergennes, others) | yes | No | No | Yes |
| Harwood UUSD (Waitsfield, Duxbury others) | no | No | No | |
| Montpelier Roxbury School District | yes | No | Yes | |
| Champlain Islands UUSD (Most Grand Isle towns) | no | No | No | |
| Enosburgh-Richford UUSD | no | No | No | |
| Missisquoi Valley School District (Swanton, Highgate, etc.) | no | No | No | |
| Northern Mountain Valley UUSD (Richford, others) | yes | No | Yes | |
| Alburgh | No | No | ||
| Washington Central USD (Berlin, Middlesex, others) | No | Yes | ||
| Caledonia Cooperative School District (Barnet, Walden, Waterford | No | Yes | ||
| Essex-Westford school district | No | Yes | ||
| South Hero | No | May 14 | ||
| Barre UUSD | No | May 14 | ||
| Rivendell Interstate School District (RISD) | No | June 1 | ||
| Fairfax | No | No | June 4 | |
| Georgia | No | No | Yes | |
| Milton | No | No | June 4 | |
| St. Johnsbury | No | no | yes | |
| South Burlington | No | No | Yes | |
| Springfield | No | No | ||
| Lamoille North MUSD A (Cambridge, Johnson, others) | No | No | ||
| Mt. Abraham USD (Bristol, others) | No | No | ||
| Kingdom East USD (Lyndonville, Burke, others) | No | No | ||
| Green Mountain USD (Andover, Chester, others) | No | No | June 4 | |
| Ludlow – Mt. Holly UUSD | No | No | ||
| Slate Valley UUSD (Castleton, Fair Haven, Poultney) | No | No | No | |
| Elmore-Morristown UUSD | No | No | ||
| Champlain Valley USD (Williston, Shelburne, others) | No | Yes | ||
| Paine Mountain (Northfield/Williamstown) SD | No | Yes |